My Whirlwind year as a teacher

With the whirl wind year I had being a Hdip Art teacher I learnt some 'interesting' facts that have made me more wise are aware for future teaching and given me priceless memories to last a life time.

Never say rubber or scor!

How much planning?

Lectures in hot lecture theatres are not good!

The pupils are great fun.

Chatting to pupils has provided me with new insights in a number of subjects now!

Yet more planning...
The teaching placement staff are great and really way too helpful!

The area's I have to teach are fascinating - I've learnt about things I never thought of before such as motivation, the tone of your voice can change everything,body language !

Older generation teachers are scared of computers

Sitting in front of the class for the first time is one of the scariest things you can do (but now I've done it I don't know what I was worried about).

I'm quickly finding what a rewarding job this is going to be - just through talking to and working with the children.

My intake of chocolate and erm 'tea' is directly proportional to the amount of work that needs doing.

Despite doing maths the pupils are better than me at their times tables.

Do we really need all this planning?

Pupils can be politer, more considerate and more caring than a lot of adults I know.

A social life is not allowed if you are a student teacher...see comment about 'tea' and chocolate...

School is much more fun than I remember it being.

Pupils seem to know more than I knew when I was their age.

Pupils are able to offer an opinion on anything...even if they don't know or understand what it is they are offering an opinion on. Strangely their opinions do seem to fit still..

Teachers I have met have been massively undervalued and generally overworked!

Teaching so far has been so rewarding!
Knowing all about Glee, Republic of telly and Xfactor buys instant "street cred" with pupils

Insightful trailer on how Graffitti is art and not vandalism

One of my personal finds was this Canadian Street Artist that I showed all my class groups. The artist really prides on how spray paint is a fine art and discussed the use of spray paint in the public place. Here is a trailer of the fascinating artist who really is a good example of how spray paint can be art.

Class research : My views on Howards Gardners view on multiple intelligences

Having touched briefly on Multiple intelligences in an earlier blog from term 2 of my course I had the challenge of completing my Literature Review, a milestone for me personally to do and complete. I like to explore and discuss further a particular research method that has made a personal connection with me as a weak learner pupil, in my own school days. I have learnt alot about Gardners theory of multiply intelligences. Some of the following findings I've learnt have made me more aware of what type of learner I am and why I struggled so much in my secondary education and now see it within my classroom.

'Frames of Mind' was published in 1983 stating Howard's Gardner's theory on multiply intelligences. Its mission was to show that intelligence can be viewed in series of channels and not traditionally like before which included verbal and computational intelligence. Howard Gardner viewed intelligence as 'the capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural setting' 

Coming Out - Commonly regarded as a very difficult/stressful process 

Coming out - because most people are heterosexual.

58% experienced homophobic bullying in schools.

Interaction with teachers - Over 85% said they would be uncomfortable talking to the principal about LGBT issues.

It remains unchallenged by teachers – “that’s gay” – does have a meaning for some people.

 

Shortly after this Lecture it was LGBT Awareness Week. This highly in-accurate video was made,an Irish anti homophobic bullying advertisement, created as part of BeLonG To Youth Services annual Stand Up! LGBT Awareness Weeks. The campaign promotes friendship amongst young people as a way to combat homophobic bullying.



Personally this video is highly inaccurate for my liking. This video was played across Ireland on all LGBT communities across Ireland and within the more 'opening and accepting' secondary schools across the country. I myself normally not vocally or in touch with the LGBT community found this video quite annoying. It portrays two school boys in an Irish community school having a relationship and over coming the barriers and stigma of having a relationship with each other. The video clip is sensitively made but still, I feel and know from my experience of going to an all boy school and having to deal in comments and a certain amount of bullying with my own sexuality, that these positive images of two boys holding hands walking out of school aren't a reality.

I still see the snide comments and the use of 'that's gay' is used for anything within my teaching practice in my all boys school. If I was to show this video to my classes, I know the maturity levels of my pupils would laugh at it and also the aftermath effect of potentially gay pupils wouldn't appreciate it. Having dealt with homophobia in the past as a pupil I know its wiser to let things lie and not to be discussed so openly. I feel and know Ireland has to come along way and will in years to come when it comes to pupils being openly gay, but for 2011 its still a raw issue and seeing a video like above is painting such a easy and open way of coming out to the school environment is unrealistic.

Primary Visual Aids within the art room: more negative than positive ?

Something I have found through my Hdip year is the use of Primary Visual Aids to causing more of a negative effect rather than a positive and a un-motivating factor. I have used the workshops through out the year to be more brave an do more experimental work and make interesting visual aids. But over time I personally feel that showing visual aids made by the 'teacher' has a negative effect on the pupils.

Workshops from the college year

On two occasions in particular I have made visual aids for a certain discipline and the results are not to promising for the area of lino print I was ambitious and made a series of prints and a strong brainstorming sheet.These visuals had a more negative affect on a certain percentage of the class I noted. For sure pupils were amazed and inspired at the visuals I made and how 'cool' and 'fun' they were but on the other level pupils informed me that this visuals were made by an art teacher who was an 'artist' and how it was going to be impossible for them to compete with these seeming 'ambitious' visuals. This made me think afters and question. Should I show visual aids that I make or have examples of other pupils within there age group having done the same discipline ?

 For instance as part of my research methodology module. I looked at the area of visual aids and informing the class with them. I look at Primary visual aids,secondary aids and ICT related ways of viewing visual aids that informed my pupils and in particular my special needs pupil an Aspergers sufferer. I investigated the role visual aids play within the art room and did a series of investigations to find out which mode of communication proved to be the most successful. Recording my findings it was sad to say that my own produced visual aids were the weakest factor from the whole project. I found it hard to believe but I could see the harmful effects my visual aids had on my pupils.

I myself after  the methodology research project took some time out and reflected on my own art education when i was in school and easily remember myself and other peers looking at our teachers visuals and all agreeing that 'of course her prints,life drawings,batiks are going to be great she is doing this for years!'  Thinking alon these lines it has made me think what if in future i was to show other pupils work within the school as within my art room the residential teachers has the senior cycles work up  on show in the art room and I has interested to see how pupils preferred and warmed more to there work. Why ? simply because i wasn't the 'Art teacher' but also younger pupils look up to the senior cycles and it was clear to see my pupils looking at 5th years and 6th years in admiration and wonder. 

Thinking logically about it now, I think its more suitable to show the pupils when I'm teaching in future other pupils work and possibly one work by me the teacher. Seeing work within there age group and ability I feel the class are more willing and open to see there work fully knowing even if they are not continuing on with art in years to come after school, they can at least think 'wow i can progress to that type of work and skill when i am in 5th year'

ATAI - Cork Branch

Being part of ATAI, Art Teachers Assiocation Ireland is run on a voluntary basis by and for qualified Art Teachers. I got involved with ATAI this year on top of my hectic Hdip year, i felt it was good to see another side of the side education system. I became CCAD Liaison Officer this year as part of the cork branch, my role was to inform my fellow Hdip of up and coming events  with ATAI I also informed Hdips at Limerick College of Art and Design of up and coming events within Cork. 

ATAI Social Night January 2011 @ 'School Day' exhibit Glucksman Gallery

 Being on the commitee i have undertaken alot of mini projects and have taken part in new letters, social nights and debates about the current curriculum within the Irish system. As hectic as the year was it was a great thing to get involved and meet great people and fellow art teachers. I took part in several workshops including a ceramic workshop and life drawing workshop. These works shops were taught by experienced ceramists and life drawers. I learnt alot of useful tips and tricks to use within the classroom environment for years to come as well as brushing up on my own life drawings skills. 

Ceramic work shop in March 2011

 All in all ATAI was great for me as it was great to see what happens to a Hdip student after there year in training. I will still take on the role for next year and will keep future Hdips of Cork and Limerick of the future workshops lined up for ATAI Cork in 2011/2012. I will also have more time to take part in Annual and national events with the Dublin Branch within the forthcoming school year.

'Glimpse' @ Wandesford Quay Gallery

My Pupils work from outside the gallery

 I really enjoyed this opportunity within my Hdip year to have pupils work displayed at a commercial gallery for all the public to see at Wandesford Quay Gallery. I had mixed feelings at first with the idea, of  selecting certain pupils work and elevating there work from my other pupils in the classroom. I had my second year group in mind as the group I was going to select but seeing the class profile more I felt it was unfair of me to select some pupils work and not others within this year, a competitive group and quite sheltered I felt I didn't want the task of selecting pupils work and having to deal with the consequences of telling others why there work wasn't picked.

Pupils from my transition year group

 My next class group which I felt was more suiting to this project and more appropriate was my fourth year group. This class are very lively to say the least and would not feel as upset to not being picked to have work displayed in a gallery. I myself as a teacher took a risk and choose the less obvious candidates to have work displayed, I made a conscious  decision to choose pupils who had discipline issues within  the school a pupil who has serious potential but lacked confidence and another pupil who has clearly stated to me that he wasn't considering art as a Leaving Cert subject, but skillfully as a pupil is great.

The pupils work dealt with a subject matter that proved to have a lasting effect with the class which was popular culture and creating paintings for the school corridors known as the 'painting corridor project' an annual project within my school, Pop Art was this years theme and the selected pupils did re-creations of famous pop art paintings and prints. I felt these works were fun,bright, youthful and energetic to propose for the gallery space. The work was boyish and the class as a whole enjoyed the painting process and as a whole this and another project within my class and scheme proved to be the most sucessful.

The opening night proved to be a great success with two of my pupils whose work was on display to show up on the night, one pupil who has severe discipline issues within the school showed up with his parents. I was enlighted to see the ethuasism from his parents and they thanked me very much for considering his work. I personally could see this was a big deal for the parents and there son  and knew there and then it was a good idea to include his work, although disruptive and has been suspended several times through out the year it is clear this pupils has natural ability and meeting his parents they also agreed that Art was a subject for him. Meeting the principal a few days later in my school. He thanked me for including this pupils work and he himself gave the pupil a personal speech on how he can be a great artist and work hard for the next two years. 



Over all this had a great effect on my pupils, the confidence rose and the three pupils had more self belief and I myself on request of the Principal had to give a talk on the transition year night about the Glimpse project. Over all a great idea and one my school was gladly to be part of and possible make a certain pupil think about a more invested career in Art!



 

My time in UCC lectures...Personal self realisation & learnings

My time in UCC lectures are ones of mixed feelings. The lectures I went too through the college year did and didn't stand to me. A person who has spend the last 5 years of his college education wielding,casting bronze and building,drilling and constructing art work and having the 'odd' lecture here and there...nothing prepared me for the social environment I was to witness. Being in UCC was a novelty for me at first. I got a kick out of finally being the last sibling in my family to go to UCC even if it was for 2 or 4 lectures this was a milestone for myself. The large lecture theatre's and masses of fellow hdip students was over whelming to me.

I found it hard to work and learn in this type of environment, note taking was impossible the lecture was hard to hear and seeing his PowerPoint's in a over lighted lecture theatre was no helpful. For the first few weeks myself and some of my fellow peers struggled and probably still to this date, to intake information and retain it.

The Boole Lecture Theatre...a great learning environment ?

This learning environment was a complete culture shock to me and it really tested me and my concentration levels. Trying to take notes and trying to hear the lecturer (even with his microphone on) I really was and still am out of my depths. I found it hard to engage with the lectures. I really learnt how lucky I am to be doing such a specialised hdip course in Art, Craft and Design Education. Having a close knit community and and the contained lecture room at Crawford Campus I now see how lucky and invaluable the learning environment I am thriving in comparison to the UCC lectures.

As a practical person and more of a 'get up and go person' and 'mentality practical', these lectures were always going to be a issue with me, I learnt a few weeks into the new semester that I was going to listen and try my best to take notes on what I personally enjoyed or of found interest. The results are quite limited I found the History of Education complex and hard to take notes with grammar and spelling I didn't understand. Taking notes was impossible for me.

At the end of the day I did learn alot about myself and I am a visual learner, having researched Gardener's Theory of Multiply Intelligences, its safe to say I have a Spatial and Bodily Kinesthetic intelligence. This theory will be discussed more in future blog posts.

Blog posts September-December 2010

Welcome Mark and Janet and Susanna,

Here is my blog so far and what learning's I've discovered and learnt along my journey so far as a PGCE Student. The posts start at the most recent and work the way back, I've made a conscious decision to vary the posts and not just look from the UCC lectures, but looking from direct experience and looking at what is current and happening in education in general.

I will like to investigate more into ICT and its developments in 2011. I would like to explore the possibilities of using photoshop and other media soft ware with my 4th years this term and will like to learn more in this area.

Here are the list of following posts I've discussed below :

1. Encounters with Special Needs pupils on my teaching placement
2. Points from UCC lectures : Multiculturalism & Differenciation & Inclusion
3. Multi Culturalism Notes from UCC lectures Sept-Dec 2010
4. A Space for Learning - St Angela's College Cork
5. Blogging in the classroom ? My doubts....
6. UCC : Special Educational Needs
7. Asperger's Syndrome Documentary
8. Websites for Art,Craft and Design Education UK and Ireland
9. Multi culturalism in the classroom and school in Ireland today
10. The role of an SNA (Special Needs Assistant)
11. My first thoughts on the idea of special needs assistants
12. The curious incident of the dog on the night-time
13. First interaction with Special needs pupils within my classroom
14. My thoughts and past experiences on learning disabilities
15. Introduction to John J Twomey

Encounters with special needs pupils on my teaching placement

Having completed my first semester as a PGCE/H-dip student I've learnt alot about special needs and how much more dedicated and more importantly how I feel more responsible for my special needs pupils. I now realise how to approach a special needs pupil in future teaching and know that I should look to the support system in the school.The resource teacher in the school I am currently teaching in was very helpful to me at the start of the year. He was aware of my previous experience of pupil interaction and having no experience in dealing with special needs, the resource teacher gave me a personal history/background to pupil A who i am teaching in second year. I was informed of his past history and has made alot of progress from 1st to now in January.

Pupil A was Asperger's syndrome and I was told to expect little or no eye contact with him and not to expect class interaction with him either. I was told what subjects he receives separate tutoring in maths and science. I was then introduced to his SNA and she was welcoming and told me what she will be doing for the duration of my classes. I felt at ease and was made sure that pupil A wasn't violent or a moody obstructive character. I also was made aware that this class year we great with pupil A and although didn't know about his condition, they respected him and treated him with the respect and decency and bullying was never a factor.

On first arrival to the class it was noted previously that pupil A has a certain seat in each classroom so when he was to walk in I was aware of who he was without making a scene or issue of who he was. Surely enough on first arrival i noticed pupil A looking at me and conferring with his SNA alot.
For the first 3 weeks I got the class to make 'public sculptures' and I moved tables around the room and got the class to go into groups and make and build in teams. I was aware of pupil A and was sensitive to moving the tables, I asked pupil A was it ok for me to move his table together with the table in front of him? He said 'yes' and Having been told that once I get confirmation from pupil A it was a sign that he was happy and content.

1st view of Pupil's Art scultpure piece

 Pupil A had a interesting sculpture and I assisted him on a one to one basis, sure enough he didn't look at me and was slow to talk but once I gave him some advice pupil A did the making needed and took on the task efficiently. I learnt when approaching pupil A I needed to be calm,welcoming and avoid eye contact. Soon after a few weeks Pupil A grew comfortable around me and had a break through by week 9 when we where doing a still life pupil A raised his hand and asked to come up and see me, at first I was shocked as pupil A would never raise his hand or speak in my class. I greeted him and said of course yes come up to me, seeing he was nervous I also sensed the class looking and becoming quiet as he came up asking for me to come down and give him some advice on how to make the ink lighter on his drawing. This was a break through and I informed the resource teacher and he noted it down as it was a first time for pupil A to raise his hand and come up to the top of a class.

2nd view of pupil's A sculpture piece

 I also have weekly interaction with a junior cert pupil who takes extra English lessons in the art room after my double art class on a Tuesday, the pupil suffers from ADD and is always 5 mins early after break in the morning waiting at the door. The pupil is clumsy/rough in his manner and gets easily excited and each week comes into class and sits at the computer waiting for his class to begin. The pupil is talkative and doesn't do art but is always asking questions about the pupils work and visuals on the wall. The pupil is also inclined to help me which I don't want him too as its not his role or responsibility and being rough and clumsy in his nature I am aware of the health and safety hazards also. I have to tell this pupil every week that I am ok for help and thank him for suggesting his offer but he should take out his books for the teacher that's coming in soon. Every week is the same cycle and conversation and I learnt to be friendly and stern with him as again he is in the art room, a room that he isn't familiar with and with the nature of it being a more practical hands on room,  I see this pupil getting excited by the things around him. I have adapted a more sterner role as I am concerned for his welfare and hes grown to know me and respect what I say and the pupil sits at the table and now waits for his lesson.

asperger's pupil and for him to walk up to the top of the class and to greet me in the school hallways its great to think I myself is making progress with pupil A and hope for the remainder of my time in the school to make more progress with pupil A.

Points from UCC lectures : Multiculturalism & Differenciation & Inclusion

 What is Multiculturalism ?

When we talk about living in a multicultural society there are many confusions about what the term actually means. Some people see a multiculturalism society like a mosaic of different cultures fitting neatly into an overall pattern to form a whole. Others describe multiculturalism as a 'melting pot' where all cultures dissolve and flow into each other.

What is Multiculturalism education ?

Multicultural education was common in countries such as Britain and Sweden in the 1970's and 1980's. It has been developed out of the realisation that the 'melting pot' does not really 'melt' and its lends to see society as composed of one majority and small 'unmeltable' minorities, a model based on ex-colonial civil servants who liaise with social leaders.multiculturalism in education teaches about cultural diversity, it seeks to do so without altering or affecting the majority cultural identity which stays intact.

•  The rights of all youths to an education under the un convention of the rights of the child needs to be understood.

• There needs to be a portraal of all minority groups in the curriculum including the travelling community as an integral part of Irish society and the adoption of a variety of teaching styles to include all pupils regardless of ethnic or cultural background.
• Positive whole school inclusive approach to intercultural education needs to be present in order to ensure success.
• Cultural difference and ethnicity needs to be respected by teachers and a strict anti-racism policy promoted at all times.
• Cultural difference needs need to be promoted through the class activities,books,music,art.
• Meeting the language needs of pupils if one pupil has lack of english.

Multi Culturalism Notes from UCC lectures Sept-Dec 2010

 Cultural Diversity in schools : Challenges and Opportunities

DIVERSITY 

• Gender
• Special Needs
• Linguistic Differences
• Ethnicity
• Socioeconomic Background
• Exceptional Abilities
• Race

Bringing Diversity into the classroom :

• One must question themselves as a person their ethics, values, family background, identity
• Look at the media outside tv, what do pupils watch does it have topical subject matter like racial issues,identity issues, social issues that make it relevant to pupils today. Looking at current events.
• Images of War, Hunger and diseases
• Lack of information and communication and awareness of Diversity can create hostile atmosphere, discrimination,bullying,racism and least likely case Violence.

I the teacher must welcome, encourage and celebrate diversity with in the classroom ! 

Challenges that face us the teacher in the ever changing evolving society of today include:

• Language and other Issues -   Different ways of expression, Lack of understanding of children's background, Confusion on how to relate to international children on the class room situation

• Religion - Religion is an important aspect of our lives, there are children from diverse religious background in our schools,most children take part in Communion and Confirmation just to get involved and have a sense of belonging. The celebrating of other religions to show pupils that not everyone is the same and can provide an interesting insight for the other pupils, although it is important to say those pupils who are of different religion and may not want to celebrate such festivals and feel different and unvalued at this time.

With Ireland's changing demographics and children of diverse cultural,racial and ethic backgrounds, our education system is becoming more exciting, more complex and more challenging. Our ability to respond and be enriched by these challenges will determine the success of our children.

As teachers we need to assess our biases about people from different cultures, plan lessons with multicultural context in mind, learn how to deal with sensitive personal topics,educate ourselves by becoming sensitive to racial,ethnic and cultural groups in the class. Treating everyone as an individual.

Deal with racist or discriminatory behaviours when they emerge in class, its important to re-visit and reinforce policies on behaviour, equality and racism, making use of inclusive language in the classroom.

 

A Space for Learning - St Angela's College Cork

The challenge from the above video was for teams of teachers, students, architects and designers to work together to design the classroom of the future for a school of their own choosing. Tens of thousands of participants and hundreds of schools from 45 countries submitted their designs.

The following video above shows an idea in New York City that was implemented in Cork which was shown to me by my lecturer earlier on this year.Where a local school in Cork City, St Angela's College was selected and picked as a new innovative school thanks to A space for learning designing better learning environments. I was looking into this idea for my 4th years to look further and outside of the school environment and to show me what would they like in their ideal school. The below video is great as it show how excited and creative the project had become, A space for Learning incorporates the same idea and a new school is in the process of being build made my pupils!

Blogging in the classroom ? My doubts....

As we all now know twittering, blogging,skyping,facebooking,poking and what not is now possible through social networking sites and is the right and promising move for the future. I myself is highly interested in Twittering and Blogging and have been doing it for over 2 years now.

But now in a classroom teaching in a classroom which has Internet and WI-FI through out the school, I am interested in promoting the idea of blogging to my 2nd year class. They are a good interested and keen class to work with and I think and want to show them in early life (unlike me) at the possibilities of blogging and sharing to the world.A blog is a Web publishing tool that allows authors like myself and my other fellow students to quickly and easily self-publish text, artwork, links to other blogs or Web sites, and a whole array of other content.

Blogs have one standard characteristic, however: the posting. Blog postings are text entries, similar to a diary or journal, which include a posting date and may include comments by people other than the author, photos, links, or other digital media.Postings are often short and frequently updated. They appear in reverse chronological order and can include archived entries.

Although Blogs are great and all for the future and easier also to find information for research during my days as an art student, I really do have my concerns about blogging in the classroom environment. Just doing a google search earlier on, I googled 'school blogs' and was shocked to see American kindergartens blogs, these blogs where fun,bright educational and had images of kids doing assignments and making creative projects all clearly documented for the world to see. I am all for pro education and the use of ICT as it interests me a lot.

But on further investigation through the blog, I saw kids names, pictures of them in class and such. I began to wonder was it ethic of the teacher to show these images and give out personal information such as names on the blog which is exposed to the whole world. Fair enough one can make a blog private like this, but I began to worry about the horror stories we hear today about identities being exposed on the Internet, I feel that kids as young as 6 and 7 are too young to be informed and exposed to blogging and such other Internet related things.

I plan to look into the possibilities of setting up a CSN Blog for my art class maybe getting pupils to write up personal accounts of what they learnt and found interesting in one of the lessons/activities we did in the past, again I must run it past to see am I allowed. I would also like to post images of pupils work and artists we look at through out the school year. I will make this blog a personal and private one for the pupils and I to access it, again depending on time and other classroom activities and time management I would like to think I could do this. I want to promote the pupils work and learning's and make pupils see how blogging can make a difference.

The below website is a great website for the beginner in blogging and twittering.

www.classroomblogging.com

UCC : Special Educational Needs

Special Educational Needs : A restriction in the capacity of a person to participate in and benefit from education on account of an enduring physical,sensory,mental health, or learning disability or any other condition which results in a person learning differently from a person without the condition.

One of the first definitions that's vital to know in relation to the area of teaching in schools. It is more important for me as I have a autistic pupil in my 2nd year class. One must be aware of the pupils disability he/she has and to acknowledge it and identify it and most importantly work with the pupil and aid to his/her help and make the pupil part of the class. Not to make him/her an outcast and seperated from the class room environment and his/her peers. By doing

Inclusion : Inclusive education describes the process by which a school attempts to respond to all pupils as individuals by reconsidering and reconstructing its curricular organization and provision and allocating resources to enhance equity of opportunity.  

A great example from my school and which they deal with Inclusion inlcudes the installing of amps in certain rooms around the school, a pupil in 1st year of his education is hard of hearing and instead of making him wear a hearing aid and be distracted by the interferrance of other classes,school bell and mobile phones around his space. The school have agreed that 4 amps will be installed into each room and the teacher will have to wear a head piece in these selected rooms while teaching the pupil. The head piece has a mic and the teachers voice is made louder and clearer with the aid of the 4 amps to allow the pupil to continue on with a normal education. Such an example is great, the school identify's the issue, over come it and facilitate the pupil.

Asperger's Syndrome Documentary

I came across several documentaries online in regards to Asperger's Syndrome, but I found this one to be very interesting and insightful, Like this man pupil A in my class comes across as quite and un-reactive and dis interested perhaps even 'odd stand offish' to the stranger who was to walk into the classroom not know of his condition.

From watching several documentaries now I can see the same symptoms and traits of the suffers but one thing that I find hard with pupil A is finding a particular interest or obsession that Asperger's suffer normally have in common, having read books and watched documentaries on Asperger's I find it hard to see what does pupil A is interested in, , meeting his resource teaching one day I was told pupil A loves photography and using digital cameras and changing the settings and is advance on use of tecnologly.

I myself must try some way to incorporate photography into my scheme of work or even possible set pupil A with a project, but one must be aware of separating him from the class and making him stand out, I may think I get the class involved in a photography project to see how does Pupil A get motivated,interested or change with the possibility of taking photos.

 

I find TES SEN section to be very detailed and informative for a student teacher like myself unaware of Autism and other disorders.

Websites for Art,Craft and Design Education UK and Ireland

I came across this website while researching for my Lit Review although I didn't use information from it, I found the website to be very helpful and current to what I am going through, in the community section they have endless treads on ideas and current topics affecting the art classroom today. It  also have a section for PGCE students like myself and how to deal with proceedures and day to day classroom events, although its under the UK/Scottish and Northern Ireland education system I still think its very good to be aware for myself and others to see what is going on overseas in art education and the developments that are happening and the feasability of bring and implementing ideas onto Irish shores.

Further exploring online I found that TES is holding an exhibition 

I also came across the National Society Education for Art and Design the website offers gallery educators, artists in residence, parents and all those with an interest in arts education. The website also offers Health and Safety practices in the area of Art and Craft and specialize in community arts  and primary art education also

Along the line of Art related and support network in Ireland seems to be limited ATAI is an Irish based website for the support of Irish teachers

 

Multi culturalism in the classroom and school in Ireland today

 I have strong views of allowing to make the art room environment a more personal experience for each pupil and looking at the community section I see experimental and innovative ideas that I think are great for the non interested learner or for pupils from different social and religious backgrounds, attending the lectures on Multi-culturalism in UCC in one of the lectures we were asked how many students had non nationals in their classroom ?

Unsurprisingly everyone in the lecture in the raised their hands. Six years previously I could honestly say that in my own year we would have had two non nationals in my class, but now especially in my 1st year class I got a high number of non nationals in the art classroom with one pupil in particular who has very broken English and although does the task's set out by me I am very aware to be more visual in my teaching methods in the first year class in comparison to my other 2nd and 4th year classes.

Facts were given to us in one of the lectures it stated some of the following figures and findings :

The Changing Landscape of Irish society

    

•  The republic of Ireland has experienced an unprecedented increase in immigration, with over 540,000 people migrating to Ireland between 1995 and 2005 to form established immigrant communities. 
• Little attention has been qualitatively focused on the needs and experiences of younger migrants and migrant children.

A need for services and facilities was needed within Ireland and more importantly the development of educational needs, pupils coming to the education system in Ireland had little of no English and where put into classrooms with fully abled Irish pupils, one had to take into account of how the pupil for example from Lithuania was to come into the Irish system having broken English, and little or no idea on Irish customs and way of living, then must over come social issues like integration into the classroom and 'fitting in' overcoming the language barrier and try their best to mix with children of their age and learn through a dormant language that isn't their native language.

Facts that were also given in the UCC lectures include the following based on religious backgrounds:

RELIGION

• 95% of Irish Primary schools are denominational in character (92% are Catholic)- Last year's 2006 census showed that migration is having a major impact on religious trends across the state....recent arrivals from Poland,Brazil,Philippines, the number of Catholics increased by 218,000 between 2002-06 albeit with an overall fall in its share from 88.4% of all religious followers to 86.8%. The Catholic Church has more than 100 foreign- language services in place across Ireland.
• The Muslim population has doubled since 2002 to 32,500 and now Islam is now the third largest religious group in the country...there are now more Muslims than Presbyterians (23,000) or Methodists (12,000) in Ireland now.
• The biggest increase of all was recorded among members of the Orthodox community,which doubled in size to 20,800 between 2002 and 2004, thanks mainly to new comers from central and Eastern Europe.

One must also take into consideration the pupils beliefs and how it may affect their day to day activities within the school environment. Having identified pupils from my different classes I am aware one pupil is a Buddhist. the school allows this pupil to leavee his classroom discreetly and pray at certain times of the day. Ive witnessed this pupil who although I don't teach leave his classroom and go to the reflection room and takes time to pray and then back to class. I think its great that he has the chance to have a normal school routine and still manage to pray and for the school and class to welcome it.

The role of an SNA (Special Needs Assistant)

Within the Autistic Spectrum Disorder, in which  pupil A suffers from Asperger's syndrome, the SNA is a facilitator she/he must make the pupils learning experience a more all round easier and pleasurable experience. The role of an SNA includes :

The post of Resource Teacher is an additional post allocated to assist a school or cluster of schools in providing an education which meets the needs of children assessed as having disabilities. Under direction of the relevant Principal, the role of the resource Teacher is to provide additional teaching support for these children who have been fully integrated into mainstream schools and who need such support.

• Assessing and recording pupils needs and progress

• Setting specific, time-related targets for each child and agreeing these with the class teacher and even possible the principal

• Directing teaching of the children,either in a separate or within the mainstream class.

• Advising class teachers in regard to adapting the curriculum. Teaching strategies, suitable textbooks,use of Information Technology and suitable software and a range of other related matters.

•  Possible meeting and advising parents, when necessary, accompanied by the class teacher if and as necessary.

• Short meetings with other relevant professionals. In the childrens' interest- e.g. psychologists, speech and language therapists,visiting teachers, special school of special class teachers. 

Depending on the general learning disability of the pupil  each SNA is  given a certain numbers of one on one teaching to each pupil for example:

• For a physical disability a certain pupil will require approx. 3 hours of time with the SNA.
 

• For a hearing impairment a certain pupil will require 4 hours of time with the SNA.

• For severe emotional disturbance or multiple disabilities a pupil will require 5 hours of time with an SNA.

• Pupils suffering from Autism/autistic Spectrum disorders are entitled to 5 hours worth of time with an SNA.

I will further look at other special needs services through my later blogs and also in relation to other to other disabilities that I will encounter in my future teaching in other schools 

My first thoughts on the idea of special needs assistants

On my first encounter with the special needs assistant I was very unsure and vague on what an SNA did, I was told she will be an invisible player in the classroom environment and will lend support and care to my aspergers pupil, at first I was very aware of the SNA in the classroom and felt very uncomfortable as I felt like she was an inspector, observing me and how I was managing the classroom as a whole but soon enough half way through the class I soon learned that the SNA was really there for the special needs pupil and not to observe me and I soon loosened up.

Soon after two more classes I was grateful and happy for the SNA to come, she took in the information I was teaching to the fellow pupils and she wrote it down and read it to pupil A in an easier and discreet way, for the first couple of class other pupils questioned the SNA and asked her questions in regard to the subject and asked for her help. Seeing she was only there to support her special needs pupil she asked the pupils to ask me and to listen more carefully, here I soon realised that I should have spoken up and said that I was the teacher who has experience in teaching art and that if anyone ever has a problem to ask me. Soon I noticed one certain pupil constantly looking for reassurance and help from the SNA although he was fully able and knowledgeable of the subject I found it unecessary for him to ask her questions.

Be week three I went to further explore the pupils background history and soon saw that in first year he was bullied alot and made fun of as he demanded alot of time and attention and assurance from fellow teachers which lead to outside bullying in the yard. Knowing that the SNA was allocated time to cater and help my special needs pupil, the normal learning pupil I thought needed more attention from me rather than from the class and distracting the SNA.

By week four after discussion with my residential teacher she and I agreed that it would be good for me to move this pupil aware from pupil A and his SNA and for him to come up closer to me at the top of the classroom. I also was very aware not to single him out and moved another 4 pupils within the classroom. After doing this I moved the more demanding pupil to the top of the class next to me and another 3 pupils, making sure I wasn't isolating him.

Sure enough the pupil was happier to be up closer to me and he asked me lots of questions and advice in which I was more able to facilitate him and teach the class. The pupil was further away from the SNA and pupil A and since his move hasn't interrupted the SNA from her helping with pupil A or hindered her time and dedication with my special needs pupils.